From England, With Love
by Valleri
Summary: Mac returns home to face the consequences of her actions.
1. From England, With Love

Last time I posted .doc files on Fanfic, the paragraphs all bunched up into one giant paragraph. I apologize if this happens again and will fix it asap.  
Title: From England, With Love  
Author: Valleri Lynn MoonStorm  
E-mail: Rating: PG-13, for subject matter.  
Spoilers: Nothing. At all. Well, maybe season two, because Mac has to be in the picture, but beyond that.  
Summary: Mac returns home to face the consequences of her actions.  
Classification: Drama, romance H/M  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I couldn't get that lucky.  
Archive: I don't mind, but please e-mail me and tell me first.  
Author's Notes: This is probably my best fiction ever, so I hope ya'll like it. I don't take credit for the sequel, because it sucks. Thanks to my awesome beta-reader and coven-sister, Adiline Star MoonStorm! I love ya girl! 

As she sat in the airplane terminal, Mac's mind started to wander. Would they care about her? Would they even take her in when she had no home? She opened her eyes, praying everything would have just been a dream. But it wasn't. A tidal wave of mistakes stared back at her. How did she even know if he was still there? She closed her eyes, and drifted back off into a daydream she had created for herself over the past month. He would grab her up and take her in, forgiving all her mistakes and giving her the life she had always dreamed of. She slowly drifted back...

No! She had to keep awake. She was only going to rest for a short while, while she waited till they called her flight, but months of neglected sleep beckoned to overcome her. Slowly she started drifting away.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a freshly mowed lawn. She watched as her baby son played with the dog.

"Miss?"

Mac rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the haze from her head. "Harm?" she moaned.

"No dear, I'm not Harm," an elderly lady said, leaning over her, "I had just saw you were dozing and wanted to make sure you weren't on the flight they just called."

"1967?" she asked of the lady.

"Yes dear, now go get on the plane before you miss it." She said smiling.

"Thank you ma'am," Mac said stretching. She boarded the plane and quickly found her seat, next to the window.

The trip would take at least 8 hours. She could catch up with her sleep in that time. Trying to ignore the looks of disapproval from the baby-boomer seated beside her, Mac curled up against the window, and tried to sleep. When the plane started rolling down the taxi, Mac's stomach characteristically started churning. She moaned and opened her eyes to look out the window. She had forgotten about her airsickness. Hopefully her stomach would calm down soon. In the meantime, she looked out the window and sighed. She dreaded meeting up with Harm after this time. She knew he would be angry. She had, after all, just disappeared. But he had said things to her that she couldn't handle. What was she going to say to him? Eight months was a long time, long enough for him to have moved on. But still, Mac clung to the hopes that he hadn't moved on. After all, she hadn't. But then again, she had a constant reminder of what had happened between them. A reminder she woke up with every day, and fell asleep with every night. She would have to explain everything to him. Why she had left, why she hadn't said goodbye to him, why she had never told him of what had become of her.

Mac looked down at herself. She was thoroughly filthy. She had taken a bath before she had left, but walking, barefoot, to the airport gave her the appearance that she didn't even know what a bath _was_. Her soft green dress had gotten discolored from the dirt, dust, and sweat. She was in no condition to walk as far as she did, but she had to leave that horrible house. She had let her hair grow out, having no money to pay for it to be cut, and it desperately needed to be washed. But the worst of all, were the telltale signs of living with a drunk. The dark bruises and scars that ran down her legs, arms, and face. He had at least been considerate enough to not hit her in the stomach. Not that that counted for much, considering he had made it up by pushing her against walls and doors whenever he passed.

Mac shook her head. She had sworn to herself, never to let anyone treat her the way her father had treated her. And, yet, she had endured it for the six months she had lived with them. At the time, she tried to convince herself that, in this case, and just this case, it was okay, because if they let her live with them and eat with them free of charge, she shouldn't go against his method of discipline. She had gotten so good at lying to herself. At least she had left when she did. Things were starting to get worse, with him constantly drunk. Mac closed her eyes, and curled up against the window again. Soon she would be home, and, if nothing else, at least Harm would be proud of her for not falling off the wagon, despite the temptation. With that last thought, she drifted off into a dark, dreamless sleep.

The stewardess awoke her when the plane had landed at Washington National. Mac stretched in her seat and dizzily stood up. Walking off the plane, she wondered if she should call Harm and beg him to come pick her up, or call a cab. When she stepped off of the plane into the terminal, she briefly glanced around for a payphone, when she saw Bud. Wait! Bud? It couldn't be. But looking again, she saw that it was. Bud, Mic, and Harm stood talking, all in their dress whites, in a corner of the airport. She slowly walked over to them, scared of what their reaction to her present state would be.

"Hi..." she said timidly.

"Colonel!" Bud nearly screamed, "You're back! Oh my God!" He was standing between Mic and Harm, from where he reached over and hugged her, dirtying his dress whites. She managed to give him a little smile. She looked from Harm to Mic, not sure what to gather from their reactions. Mic reached over and gave her a hug, saying he missed her, while Harm just stood there staring at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Hi Harm..." she managed to get out.

His shocked expression slowly turned into a smile as he reached out and hugged her. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered into her ear. Mac's eyes filled with tears at his apology. She hadn't expected it, and really didn't think it was necessary for him to say what he had. 'I'm so sorry' doesn't change the past, and it surely doesn't make her any less pregnant.

"Colonel," Bud began, when Mac had released Harm from her grasp. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"No, I don't, but Bud? I'm not a Marine anymore, so call me Mac."

Bud nodded solemnly, but continued, "Well, Harriet and I don't really have much room to put you up at our house, but you could stay with us, and I'll just sleep on the couch." Mac started to shake her head, declining his offer, when he continued. "At least come home with me and wash up. I'm sure Harriet would love to see you and then maybe afterwards you could come to the Headquarters to see everyone again."

Mac smiled at him, her first real one since she left, "I'd like that, Bud. I'd like that a lot."

Harriet walked up then, the three men's ride home. When she saw Mac, her jaw hit the floor, and she ran over to hug her. Bud told his wife about the offer he had extended to Mac, and she agreed that she should stay with them for a little. "Let's go get your luggage and head home, I'm sure the Commanders and Bud are exhausted."

Mac looked down at the floor, "I don't have any luggage. My stuff was stolen from me."

"Well, that's fine, one less stop. You're coming home with me anyways, and I still have my maternity clothes, so maybe we can find you something that fits." Harriet said, smiling brightly.

Mac smiled back at her, and the five old friends took off towards the Roberts' car.

"So, um, Mac, if you don't mind me asking, where did you go?" Harm carefully asked her. Mac tried to swallow her tears. There used to be a time when Harm didn't have to say things like 'if you don't mind'. But she guessed she had screwed that over.

"England," she responded.

"England!" Harm said, raising his voice, "Who the hell did you know in ENGLAND!"

Mac smiled at him. There was the old Harmon Rabb she knew. "No one. No one at all. That's why I went there. So I could _get away_ from the people I knew." She looked over at him, afraid to hurt him, but needing to get this out. "So I could get away from you. I couldn't handle it, remembering that you had said you -"

Harm waived her to be quiet. He couldn't handle being reminded of what he had said to her. "I know..." he said softly.

"But it's okay now, Sarah," Mic's Australian accent caused her to break eye contact with Harm, "You're home, and you've gotten us. What else could a woman want?"

Mac looked up. She was home. She had to laugh, though, at the three goofy grins staring back at her. Harriet looked over at Mac, "I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, nodding to the three men. "Come on, ya'll, let's get home." The five settled down in Harriet's car, and the conversation turned to baby AJ's latest adventure.

"I don't have many maternity dresses, sorry," Harriet said, as she and Mac were picking through her closet. Harriet had called the Admiral, saying she had a surprise for everyone at the office, and could she please come in a little late. He had reluctantly agreed, and so, with Bud off to work, told to hold his tongue, and Mac bathed, she and Harriet tasked themselves with finding an appropriate outfit for Mac to show up in.

"That's okay, maybe I just shouldn't go..." Mac said, nervously.

"Mac?" Harriet asked, growing concerned. She sat on the side of the bed and motioned for Mac to sit beside her. When she did, Harriet continued, "Mac, why did you leave?"

Mac swallowed. She didn't want to confess, but Harriet was opening up her home, she at least owned this much to her. "Remember when Harm and I went to Florida, to work on that Hughlett case? Well... when we got there, Tiner had forgotten to book us a hotel. Every one was full up, except for one. It had one room. One bed..." Mac looked down at her eight month swollen belly. She almost jumped when Harriet took her hand.

"I understand. Does he know? I mean, that it's his?"

Mac nodded at her, through tears. "I'm so sacred, Harriet..." she looked back up into Harriet's eyes. "What will I say to everyone when they ask who's it is? When they ask why I left? When they ask where the bruises are from? When they ask where I was? What am I gonna do? I can't avoid the questions, and I care about them too much to lie."

Harriet reached over and took Mac into her arms. She couldn't say she understood, because she didn't. She couldn't say it would be okay, because she wasn't sure it would be. All she could do I hold her crying friend like her mother used to hold her. Then Harriet realized that Mac had probably never been comforted by a woman before. She had Harm, and before him, her Uncle Matt, but never a mother's touch. She ached for her friend, and prayed that everything would be okay.

When Mac calmed down, she and Harriet picked out a dress for her, and helped her cover the fading bruises on her face. She hoped no one would notice the bruises on her legs. Harriet then settled into her own clothes, and the two set off for the JAG Headquarters.

As the elevator doors opened, Mac forced herself to breathe normally. She followed Harriet towards the Admiral's office, blushing slightly at the astonished looks from the people who noticed her.

"Enter!" the Admiral said, responding to Harriet's knock. Harriet stepped just inside the door, not allowing Mac to enter yet. "Lieutenant. What was this surprise you said you were bringing?"

Harriet smiled at her CO. "My surprise is Sarah MacKenzie," she said, stepping to the side so Mac could enter.

"Colonel, it's a good thing you came back when you did, you were getting awfully short on personal leave," the Admiral told her, not showing any surprise at her appearance.

Mac blinked nervously. Personal leave? "What are you talking about?"

"I was amazed to see when you left that you had never taken a day off for personal leave. You had almost nine months worked up. In fact, I think you only have about a month left."

Now it was Mac's turn to be surprised, "But what about my resignation?"

"You had better start siring me, Colonel, I never turned it in." As the realization of his words sunk in, the Admiral smiled at her, "Welcome back, Mac."

Mac ran over to the Admiral and hugged him, then realized what she had done and shrunk back. He smiled at her. "You can start today. I tried to keep everyone out of your office while you were gone, but Bud has been using it some, so if you'll excuse his mess, you can kick his six to the curb, then get Commander Rabb to fill you in on the Hoppenworth case you two will be working on. That'll be all."

Harriet clicked to attention in front of her CO, but had a hard time not laughing at Mac's reaction when she realized what was going on. Mac clicked to attention, the Admiral dismissed them, and they headed back into the bullpen where news of her return and pregnancy had already spread like wildfire.

Mac smiled and did her best to avoid her questioners, heading towards Harm's office. She entered and sat in one of his visitor's chairs in front of his desk. He looked up at her, surprised at someone just walking into his office, then smiled, realizing who it was.

"What can I do for you?" he said.

"Well, since you can't turn back time, and change everything, I guess accepting my sincere apology for running off from you like I did would be nice. And I am sorry."

He smiled at her, "Forgiven. Next?"

"Alright, Father Rabb," she said teasingly, "I don't know why, but the Admiral never put my resignation through, and has been submitting me as being on personal leave for the past eight months. I never realized how much I had. He said that I am now working with you on some Hoppenworth case, and you are supposed to fill me in."

"How about this?" Harm supplied, "How about if _I_ fill you in on the case, then you'll come home with me tonight and fill me in on your life since you left mine?"

"Deal," she said, and they shook hands.

With pizza on the way, and the sheets on his bed changed so she could sleep there, Harm sat next to Mac on the couch. He knew that this was going to be hard for Mac to say, so he decided the best thing to do was for him to start, "When you left, I had no idea where you were. I started doing crazy things, I'm not even sure why. Like I'd go out and buy a half and half pizza like we always would, and your half would go to waste. I poured all of the alcohol in my house down the drain. I would stop by Beltway Burgers on the way home, and pick you up some food, expecting you to be there when I returned. I guess you kinda became my obsession. That was five months ago. I eventually came to my senses and stopped acting all crazy, and I threw myself into my work. I would always have dreams about you. They were just as crazy as I was. Sometimes I'd just dream of working on a case with you. Sometimes I'd dream of flying in Sarah with you. Sometimes I'd dream of marrying you. Most of the time, though, I'd dream of that night, in Florida."

Mac sighed, "I guess that's my cue." Harm nodded at her, and Mac continued, "When I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was yours, and I remembered how, afterward, when we got back from Florida, how you had said you didn't want a serious relationship. I got scared, and did the only thing I felt at that time that I could do. I ran. I resigned my commission, and flew to England. I started going by Sarah, as if that made me a new person. I lived in a hotel and eventually became friends with a lady there named Tabatha. When I ran out of money, Tabatha offered to let me live with her, for free. I moved in with her and her husband, Johnathan." She looked down at her lap. "John was abusive, and beat me around. His wife threatened to kill him if he ever hit my chest or stomach. She knew about the baby. When it became obvious that I was pregnant, he slacked off, and didn't beat me as much or as hard. Everything calmed down and seemed pretty good. Then one day he came home and he was wasted. I haven't seen someone that drunk in years. I was in my room, avoiding him, and he came after in. He walked over to me, and started hitting on me. He had done it before, when he got really drunk, so I wasn't worried. Then he walked over to me, pulled my dress up, and grabbed me. I guess I turned back into Mac then, because I started kicking him and hitting him with everything in me. The baby made it hard to fight though, and he eventually won over me." Mac saw Harm shiver at what he knew was coming. Mac tried not to cry, but her voice still started cracking. "He ripped off my underwear and put his mouth between my legs." Mac started shaking, remembering what had happened. Harm pulled her close to him, and let her finish. "That's when Tabatha walked in. She had heard my screaming, and came as fast as she could. She came in with the shotgun, thinking he was hitting my stomach, and prepared to fulfill her promise to him. When she saw him, she quickly aimed, and shot him in the leg. She told me to leave, and I ran. I left everything I had there. It took me three days to walk to the airport. I didn't know where else to go. You were the only close friend I ever had

Harm held her close. "When I said that I didn't want a serious relationship, I lied. I was scared to have a serious relationship with you, for fear of losing you. By saying that, I did lose you. I still am scared to have a serious relationship. But that doesn't mean that I won't be here for you. For you and our baby. You're everything to me Mac."


	2. From England, With Love: Part Two

Harm's soft knock on Mac's hotel door brought her attention back to reality. It was so nice of him to take her out to dinner tonight. She hadn't had a good day, especially with their client, who wasn't making their defense of him any easier. He was being court-martialed for sexual harassment against some of the females on the base, but instead of answering Harm's questions about why the women would be lying about the charges, he seemed intent on hitting on Mac. It was getting on her nerves, and Harm could tell it wouldn't be long before she blew. After the defendant left, Harm invited Mac to go to dinner at Applebee's with him. Being knocked out of her second reverie by Harm's persistent knocking, Mac opened the door.

Once Harm regained his composure, he dropped a little anecdote he had thought of waiting for her to answer the door. "If a girl's mother isn't there to answer the door for her date, does she just let him stand out in the hall?"

"Does that mean this is a date?" Mac replied, turning her attention back to the impossible zipper on the back of her dress, but not before Harm caught the flash in her eyes.

He grinned at her. "Yes. That means this is a date." He said, pulling the zipper for her. Mac started to turn around to him to say something sarcastic, but she paused when her eyes locked with Harm's. He was looking at her with such passion, such emotion; she could almost see him letting his guard down in his own eyes. He leaned down slowly, both staring at each other until their lips met.

Mac's eyes flew open with a jolt. It was 0629 in the morning and she wasn't in a hotel in Florida, she was at Harm's house in his bed, alone. She pulled herself up on the pillows and looked around. The room was pretty much the same as it was eight months ago, except, she noticed, there were more pictures of her around. She always knew he had pictures of her up, just like she did of him. After all, who _doesn't_ have pictures of their best friend up? She stood up, walking into the living room and over to his stereo cabinet. The line of pictures almost knocked her breathless. He had several pictures of his mother and Frank, along with his picture of his father and one of Sergei, side by side. He also had a picture of an older woman whom Mac assumed was his Grandmother, Sarah Rabb. What had so startled Mac, though, was that amongst all the pictures of his family, were two of her. One from baby AJ's christening and one from Bud and Harriet's wedding. The christening one she understood. He and Mac were baby AJ's godparents, and that made them like family. It was the wedding one she didn't understand. Harriet had insisted that Mac and Harm, being the best man and bride's maid, get together in a picture. This picture had nothing to do with his family, and Mac couldn't understand why he put it along with the rest of the family photos.

Suddenly, Harm reached over and laid the picture over on its face. "I guess you've found another one of my obsessions." He said, looking away from her.

Mac set her hand on top of his and lifted it, lifting the picture also. Both of their hands remained clutching the back of the picture as Mac spoke, "We look like _we're_ the ones getting married."

Harm dropped his hand back to his side, "Yeah." He said quietly, and then walked into his bathroom to get dressed for work.

Mac stared off after him in confusion. She desperately wanted to have a relationship with him, not just for the sake of her child, but because she truly cared about him. Everything seemed to be going well last night, but now it was as if he was closing her out of his world.

"Damnit Harm!" she yelled, stomping into the bathroom, "You cannot close me out of your life that easily! I am not going to sit here and let you walk away from me!"

Harm turned around, startled by her outburst. Mac was standing in his doorway with an old navy blue t-shirt of his on. She had characteristically rolled her sleeves up revealing her battered arms. Her hair had been pulled back in a pony tail, then she had cut most of it off, prepared to wear it like that until she could get it cut back to normal. She hadn't makeup on, so Harm could see a definite black circle around her eye.

Mac opened her mouth to yell at him again, and instead cried out in pain. Her whole face turned red and she grabbed a hold of the doorframe to keep from falling.

"Oh my god, Mac are you okay?" Harm yelled, running over to her.

"My stomach!" she said, gasping for air, "It HURTS!" Her whole body cringed as another shockwave of pain rushed through her.

At that moment, it dawned on Harm what was happening. Mac was in labor. "Here, lets get you to the hospital." He said, lifting her to her feet. Harm walked her to the car, then ran back inside. He wasn't sure exactly what to bring for her, since she had no clothes except for the dress Harriet had given her and a maternity uniform they had picked up on the way home. Harm quickly grabbed the dress and his cell phone then ran back out to the car. "Are you okay now?" he asked, cranking the engine.

"For now. What's happening? Am I having my baby?" Mac begged of him.

"I think so. Here," he said, handing her the phone, "hit seven and hold it down. That's speed dial for Harriet. Ask her to bring you… whatever you need!"

Harm got Mac settled into a hospital room and soon Harriet arrived with some clothes. "Sorry if they don't fit, I didn't remember what size you were." She said, blushing slightly.

"That's okay, thank you so much, Harriet. Harm is over here panicking, so he wasn't much help." Mac said, smiling.

"How long until this little one gets out?" Harriet asked, sitting on the edge of Mac's hospital bed.

"The doctor said that he brought me here a little early, and it will probably be several hours before anything more happens."

Harriet moaned sympathetically, "Poor you! What's it going to be? A girl or a boy?"

Mac had a look of shame cross her face, "I, uh, I don't know. I didn't have the money to pay a doctor."

"I thought that they couldn't turn you down, even if you can't pay..." Harriet said.

"The laws aren't the same in England." Mac responded. "The doctor said the baby should be healthy, nonetheless."

"What are you going to name 'em?" Harriet asked, fully into the baby talk.

Again, Mac looked shamed, "I haven't really thought about it," she said, sighing, "I'm going to make a horrible mother."

"Nonsense!" Harriet replied. "You'll make a better mother than I am! You've just had different things on your mind recently, and besides, you thought you had another month to plan. Now you have a couple of hours. So what? Let's think of a name for that baby! Now, if it's a boy, what do you want to name him?"

"Harm?" Mac asked, looking up at him, "What's your middle name?"

"Taylor..." he replied, a little confused.

"Perfect." Mac replied.

Harriet caught on first to what Mac was planning. "You know he'll be Harmon Taylor _MacKenzie_," she said, "Not Rabb the third."

"I know." Mac said calmly, "I still like it."

Unbeknownst to the two girls, Harm licked his lips nervously. "Mac?" he asked, continuing when she looked over at him, "Thanks. You know that means a lot to me. My name is something my dad and I had in common. I always wanted to name my son that."

Mac smiled at him, understandingly.

"And if she's a girl?" Harriet said, continuing.

"Harriet."

"Yes?"

"No," Mac replied, "not a question. Harriet. That's what I'll name her. Harriet. What's your middle name?"

Harriet blushed at the honor Mac had just given her. She had never realized how much it had meant to the Admiral and Mac when she had chosen to name her children after them. "Ann." She answered.

"Perfect. Harmon Taylor or Harriet Ann. You're right Harriet, I'm glad I waited until now to name the baby, otherwise I wouldn't have found the perfect names."

"Mac?" Harm said softly to her. Mac moaned at him, coming back to consciousness. Harm grinned back at her, "I thought Marines were supposed to be all tough. Simper fi and all that."

"What are you talking about?" Mac asked, clearly confused.

"You passed out halfway through the first one." He said, obviously proud of his joke.

"The first one what?" Mac said, her confusion growing.

"The first baby."

"The _first_ baby? I was only having one!" Mac paused. "Right?"

Harm smiled at her, "Nope. Two. You had twins, Sarah."

"Knock, knock." Came a voice from the doorway. Harriet and Bud stepped into Mac's room, each carrying a sleepy child. "Here are your babies, Mac." She said smiling. "Harmon Taylor MacKenzie and," Harriet blushed slightly, "Harriet Ann MacKenzie."

Mac's confusion drifted away as she caught sight of the two children the Roberts were bringing in. Mac swore that they were the most beautiful children in the world. Harriet and Bud handed the children off to Harm and Mac, the exited to give them some time alone.

"Maybe it will take a family to make them a family." Harriet said wistfully.

Bud shook his head and smiled at his wife. The law may not have married them, but he knew that the Commander and the Colonel have always been married at heart. But maybe his Harriet was right. Maybe the two children can show the two parents how much they truly need each other.


End file.
